Speed mechanism for bicycles.



Patented sept.-25, |900.

y( niiillllll' l J. A. CARDINELL.

SPEED MECHANISM FOR-BICYCLES.

(Application filed Sept. 26, 1898.)

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UNTTED STATES PATENT 'intiem JOI-IN A. CARDINELL, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

SPEED MECHANISM FOR BICYCLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 658,718, dated September 25, 1900.

Application filed September 26, 1898- Serial No. 691,848. (No model.)

To all whom t muy concern;

Be it known that I, JOHN A. CARDINELL, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented cert-ain new and useful Improvements in Speed Mechanism for Bicycles, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to improvements made in driving mechanism connecting the power-actuated shaft of a bicycle or similar vehicle with the axle of the wheel to be propelled; and the improvements consist in certain novel constructions of speed-gearing and parts connecting the crankshaft or drivingshaft with the sprocket-wheel of the mechanism by which an accelerated motion of the sprocket-wheel or drivel' over the driving-A shaft is produced and also in certain novel construct ions and combinations of parts producing an improved bearing for the crankshaft in which the parts are readily tightened and adjusted to take up wear and loose movement and the bearings made dust-proof.

The following description explains the nature of my said improvement-s and the man- -nerin which I proceed to construct, produce,

and apply the same for operation, reference being had to the drawings that accompany' wheel and gears connecting it and the pedal-` shaft or driving-,shaft together, parts of the wheel being broken away to expose the gears. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section through the sprocket-wheel and parts, with the gears omitted and the parts separated. Fig. 4 is a detail View of the driving-shaft. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the parts of the shaft-bearing on the right-hand side of Fig. 1. Fig. 5a is a cross-section ofthe cup-shaped nut of the bearings. Fig. 6 is a front view of the adjusting-nut shown in Fig, 5 with the checknut broken away. Fig. 7 is a cross-section at a; nc, Fig. 1.

In the several figures which illustrate my said improvements applied to a bicycle of ordinary construction, A indicates the tubu- F is a sprocket-wheel having on one side a deep recess f to contain a set of spur-gears G G G, and H is a disk or circular plate fixed on the shaft B by a hub h against the open side of the wheel F and carrying the studs and bearings of the gears G. A dished plate I, covering this disk H, is secured to the sprocket-wheel by an annular flange IX and -screws l2 in such manner as to produce a tight joint between the two parts and inclose the gears and their carrying-plate. A dust-proof joint is foi-med around the shaft where it passes through this cover by a hub I3, having a packing-ring I4 set in a groove.

VOn the rim of the sprocket-wheel are the usual spurs or sprockets f2, and on the inside a circle of internal geanteeth f3 'all around the inner circumference.

, The sprocket-wheel is mounted on the tixed sleeve D to turn independently of the shaft B and the construction of its bearings is as follows: On the back or -inner face of the sprocket-wheel is a hub F2, surrounding the sleeve D at that end and fitted to turn smoothly on the sleeve and within a cupshaped nut L, that is secured on the sleeve by a threaded portion m. The cup-shaped .nut surrounding the hub F2 has a close-working tit within the enlarged end A3 of the tubular yoke and is provided with a flanged rim L', in which are holes or notches L2 to take a Spanner for turning the nut, for which purpose the edge of the tianged rim extends outward between the back of the sprocket-wheel and the end of the yoke. Between the hub F2 and this nut, as well as between the hub and the stationary sleeve D, ball-bearings P P are interposed to reduce friction, the hub having suitable grooves PX l for that purpose. Ball-bearings R R are placed also in the hubs of the spur-gears G, the bearings being con- IOO sti ucted in two parts for that purpose, as shown in Fig. l of the drawings.

As before described, the sleeve D, carrying the spur-gear E, is stationary in the yoke, while the shaft B rotates in it, and consequently the sprocket-wheel, turning on the outside of the sleeve, is only connected to the driving-shaft B by the gears G G and the internal gear-teeth of the sprocket-wheel. The gears G, meshing with the gear on the stationary sleeve and with the circle of teeth in the recess of the sprocket-wheel, are set at points around the circle equidistant from one another and are so proportioned that the sprocket-wheel F has an accelerated motion given to it that causes it to constantly gain in speed over the driving-shaft B.

Between the sleeve D and the driving-shaft are placed ball-bearings S SX at both ends of the yoke. Those at the sprocket-wheel end are located in line with the bearings between the hub F2 of the sprocket-wheel and the sleeve, as seen in Fig. l of the drawings. A collar B on the driving-shaft just inside hub h forms a shoulder for the ball-bearing S. This shoulder is drawn up against the balls by means of the nuts T T3 on the opposite end of the shaft.

The shaft-bearing at the end opposite to the sprocket-wheel is constructed with a view to readily taking up loose play resulting from wear of the parts and to maintain aclose but smoothly-working bearing at both ends. The parts of the bearing are shown in Figs. l and 5.

T is the bearing nut Working on a righthand screw-thread bx on the shaft, formed with a fianged head TX and a boss T,having a groove or seat Tg on the inner end for the balls SX.

T3 is a check-nut having a threaded portion f4, working on a left-hand screw-thread b2 on the shaft, and a flanged head with a fiat back or inner face that is finished to fit tightly against or into a cavity within the iianged head of the nut T. In the head of this last-mentioned part is a circle of spaced holes t5, tapped for screws Y, by which the two parts T T3 are fastened together after they are screwed up. The screws take through elongated holes (see Fig. 6) in the fiange T3, so as to permit adjustment of' the screws in line with the hole in the head of the nut behindit. When the nutT is screwed up in place, it presses and holds the balls SX up to a seat and bearing against the shoulder D' on the inside of the sleeve D, and as the parts become loose under wear the nutT is screwed up against the balls by fakingout the screws Yand loosening the check-nnt'l. The rim of the fianged head of the nut T is fitted to turn smoothly and easily within a cup-shaped nut FX, seated Within the enlarged end A3 of the yoke and screwed onto the end of the sleeve D, and a packing-ring is set in a groove X in the rim to produce a dust and dirt proof joint. By means of these parts and fittings all loose motion due to wear, both in the sprocket-wheel end and the opposite end, is readily taken up and the bearings properly tightened without removing any of the parts.

Having thus fully described my invention, what. I claim therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination, with a tubular yoke, of the stationary sleeve fixed in said yoke,

spur-gear on said sleeve, sprocket-wheel F having a hub fitted to turn on the sleeve, a fianged rim and internal gear-teeth on the inner face of said rim, the driving-shaft having the circular plate fast thereon, the spurgears mounted on studs on said plate and arranged around the shaft to mesh with the stationary center gear and with the circle of internal gear-teeth in the sprocket-wheel, the covering plate secured to the rim of the sprocket wheel and having a hub fitting aroundl the shaft, the cup-shaped nut L, and the ball-bearings between the shaft and the sleeve, and between the sprocket-wheel hub and the cup-shaped nut, substantially as described.

2. The combination with the stationary yoke having an enlarged end, the sleeve fixed in the yoke and exteriorly threaded within the enlargement, and a cup shaped nut screwed onto the sleeve, fitting within the enlargement, and having a flanged rim standing at the end of the yoke and provided with radial holes; of the crank-shaft, the sprocketwheel having a hub within the nut, ball-bearings between this hub and nut and between the hub and sleeve, and connections between the wheel and shaft, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand and seal.

JOHN A. oARDiNELL. [1.. si

Witnesses:

L. OsBoRN, EDWARD E. OsBoRN. 

